Nier: Automata Ver1.1a (Season 1 Finale), Episodes 9, 10, 11, 12: Finally returning after a four-month hiatus owing to COVID-19, Nier Automata Ver1.1a is back with a bang. This is an anime based on a well–known video game with branching storylines and different endings based on the choices you make, apart from also featuring quite a few characters.
So it was always going to be interesting to see how all of this was going to be adapted into a condensed anime that does not have the luxury of time like a video game does, and I’m happy to report that animation studio A-1 Pictures has done a good job. Although the flow of watching these twelve episodes will no doubt be broken after so many long breaks (unless one binges it), it is still easy enough to get back into.
While an adaptation of a video game, Nier Automata Ver1.1a is not quite the usual deal with there being multiple timelines in the game and a penchant for experimentation in story, characters, and gameplay, this has carried over to the anime, where the instantly recognizable characters of 2B, 9S, Adam, and Eve are very similar to their game counterparts but not the same.
There are changes, both major and subtle, and while this will no doubt displease some, there will also be others curious to see where it goes, especially since game director Yoko Taro is heavily involved with the project. All of this put together makes these final four episodes of the first cour an interesting watch for both types of fans (game and anime original), especially so when we take into consideration where the story will head from here.
Nier: Automata Ver1.1a (Season 1 Finale) Episode 9 “hun[G]ry for knowledge” Recap:
Opening with 9S trapped in cyberspace after the end of the last episode, this episode sees 9S suspect that he was forced to walk into cyberspace. He then hears a machine voice talk about how machine life forms learned and grew, and the voice then introduces itself as Adam. 9S finds it hard to believe that a mere machine can speak of things such as existence, but Adam points out that androids are the same in that they are like puppets who follow orders.
Adam then asks 9S about 2B and reveals he is the special machine unit that they had tried to kill earlier. Adam continues to taunt him by saying that deep within 9S, there is a hidden darkness that grows more distorted the more he suppresses it, that he has no hope or trust, and that he wants to destroy everything. He wraps a shocked 9S in black tendrils as he keeps talking, and he says that 9S wants to do something to 2B, but it is not revealed to the audience as the audio cuts off.
At the flooded city ruins, 2B splits with Jackass and along with both her own pod, 042, and 9S’s pod, 153, tracks 9S’s last known location to the room with all the artwork Adam had created of them. She also finds a set of coordinates that lead her to the Copied City created by Adam.
Exploring the area, 2B finds lots of incomplete marble sculptures made by Adam, along with the corpses of dead YoRHa members. Adam appears and reveals that he is fascinated by the complexities and contradictions of humanity, also revealing that the creators of the machine life forms have been dead for centuries, having been killed by the machines themselves.
Further pointing out the similarities between humans and androids since they were created by humans, Adam invites 2B to join him in unravelling the mystery that is humanity’s heart and emotions. 2B immediately refuses by asking about 9S, and Adam shows her a tortured, beaten, and unconscious 9S, which greatly angers her.
Beginning their fight, the two exchange blows for a bit, and Adam summons a copy of 9S to fight, and 2B hesitates to attack it despite knowing it is fake. Pod042 intervenes but is knocked away by Adam, who reveals that humanity has gone extinct and that the war is now meaningless. He goes on to say that he has disconnected himself from the machine network as well, since that made him immortal, and being able to die will help him better understand humanity.
At that point, Pod153 hacks into Adam’s system, and he is much weaker since he has disconnected from the machine network. 2B is about to stab him, but Eve appears out of nowhere and takes the killing blow for Adam, dying in his arms soon after as 2B and 9S leave the crumbling Copied City with their pods.
Nier: Automata Ver1.1a (Season 1 Finale) Episode 10 “over[Z]ealous” Recap:
9S has been sent to The Bunker to recover thanks to Lily, and 2B reports all that happened to Commander White, who in turn says killing Eve was a major blow to the machines as he managed much of the machine network. She issues a gag order on the aliens allegedly being dead and gives 2B her next mission: kill Adam.
Adam is depressed with Eve’s death and kills the leader of a group of machine lifeforms dressed like a religious leader. 2B heads to the location where Adam is believed to be with the two pods and is greeted by seemingly docile machines who claim to have found God. They claim their leader wants to sign a peace treaty with the androids, and guide 2B to him, only for her to discover that he is dead, killed by Adam.
It turns out the machines view dying as becoming a God, and believe that is what happened to Eve after his demise as well. They surround 2B while chanting, and are intent on killing her. 2B sends a distress signal through her pod to The Bunker, and 9S responds to it by hacking into a machine lifeform and controlling it remotely.
During their escape, they encounter a large machine that has an energy barrier which blocks all attacks, and 9S hacks into the factory’s system to disable power, allowing 2B to defeat it when the shield is down. However, a stampede of machines start approaching her and The Commander is unable to send backup at 9S’s request owing to signal interference and dormant machines waking up all over the place.
Both the pods insist on cancelling their limiters, which 2B reluctantly agrees to because of the toll it takes on them, and they release a devastating attack on the machines. Another wave appears soon after though, and they ignore 2B entirely and dive into the molten lava below, committing suicide and becoming like Eve in their view.
A depressed Adam is seen again, apologizing to Eve in tears. At the Resistance Camp, there is panic as they see several machines wake up and become hostile, and 2B receives a broken signal from there, requesting for backup and decides to head over as the episode ends.
Nier: Automata Ver1.1a (Season 1 Finale), Episode 11 “head[Y] battle” Recap:
Various androids from all over the city have been attacked suddenly by hostile machines, both from The Resistance and YoRHa, and they request for help but everyone else is too overwhelmed to respond.
At the Resistance Camp, things are looking bleak with Lily and the other members unable to figure out a solution to this sudden invasion. 2B appears from the sky and everyone is briefly relieved to see her, but slink back into their previous resigned demeanour when explaining the current situation to her. 2B tells them all she knows as well, which is not much, but summons the new weapon authorized to her by The Bunker. She asks Lily to gather her remaining forces.
Meanwhile, at The Bunker, all the Operators are also overwhelmed by the constantly incoming reports and new information, none of which is good news. The Commander is talking to the Council of Humanity, and has asked several times for the use of YoRHa’s satellite laser cannons to aid against the current onslaught of the machines. However, she is refused as the Council believes that using the cannons does not work towards their overall goal: to attain God through Process 11. What this means is not made clear to the viewer.
Back in the city ruins, The Resistance and 2B, along with 9S who arrives via flight gear, use an EMP cancellers which shut down the machine army’s march. Lily thanks the two YoRHa androids, but 9S reminds her of their help earlier in sending his body back to the Bunker.
At that moment, it begins to rain and the machines are then absorbed by Adam who uses them to create a single, huge machine monster who immediately starts wreaking havoc. Lily asks the Weapons Trader for a special weapon, a supposed ace in the hole, just for difficult situations like this and 2B and 9S vow to help. Lily then gives a short yet inspiring speech and everyone decides to face the machine monster head on.
9S lures Adam to a predetermined spot using his flight gear and 2B and The Resistance Members fight the other machines, and a special machine unit appears. It is very powerful and moves differently than the others, and even wiped out half of The Resistance’s forces earlier. 2B faces this unit in combat, as well as two just like it, and emerges victorious with some help from Pod042.
9S is in trouble carrying out his duties as part of the plan, but is saved by the newly arrived Pascal in the nick of time. His flight gear is destroyed in the battle, though he uses new equipment which is normally forbidden to his type of scouting/hacking models of YoRHa. Pascal gives him a lift to Adam and he uses the new equipment to hack into his system. While there, he witnesses Adam’s suffering due to the death of Eve, and how lonely he feels.
Outside, The Resistance members fire their gigantic missile at Adam, along with demolishing buildings and catching him in the vast debris. However, even this doesn’t destroy Adam and he is about to resume his attack when a large laser beam seemingly kills him, with which the episode ends.
Nier: Automata Ver1.1a (Season 1 Finale), Episode 12 “flowers for m[A]chines” Recap:
Opening with the laser beam blast, the season finale then sees The Commander and Operator 6O in conversation, with the latter asking if it was alright to use the weapon without getting clearance from the Council of Humanity. The Commander does not give a straight answer, merely noting that they have a need for a God even if they do not actually exist.
At the city ruins, 9S correctly recognizes that it was a satellite laser weapon, and part of the city has collapsed into a hole. The pods report that there is still a faint signal from Adam, and 2B and 9S go to investigate while the others check on the injured. They spot a heavily injured Adam, but 2B hesitates to deal the killing blow, openly wondering if machines really are heartless upon seeing Adam cry. 9S helps her kill him and expresses relief that it is finally over. There are several shots of other YoRHa and Resistance members at various locations, including A2, having survived the machine onslaught.
Just as 2B is about to thank 9S for his help, 9S is suddenly in pain, and it turns out that he has been infected by a logic virus. 9S realizes that he must have been infected with it when he had disconnected from Adam’s network earlier. He tries to reassure 2B that he can still download his old data from The Bunker, but this does little assuage her since that means his current self will be lost. However, there is no alternative since they cannot upload corrupted date to The Bunker.
Barely holding on, 9S requests 2B to kill him out of mercy and she tenderly holds his face, before straddling him and then strangling him to death. 2B breaks down in tears, and asks herself why it always ends like this.
Noticing a beeping sound, she sees that several machine corpse eyes are now blinking green, and they appear to be synchronizing with each other. A confused 2B then sees a machine rise from the debris behind her, and she is about to attack, but the machine hastily tells her to stop using 9S’s voice. He happily reveals that he must have left some personal data in the machine network, and his sense of self was regenerated with his memories intact. He rambles on, but 2B stops him, expressing her joy over his survival, and smiles at him.
9S then carries 2B in his arms, and notes in his voice over that the battle against Adam and Eve is now over, and their victory is likely to have had a big impact in the war against the machines. However, he also notes that the battle for him and 2B isn’t over yet, before saying that that is another story. The credits roll at this point, halfway through the episode, leading to a lengthy post credit scene.
Nier: Automata Ver1.1a (Season 1 Finale), Episode 12 “flowers for m[A]chines” Ending Explained:
What happens to 9S in The Bunker?
Earlier, while undergoing repairs at the Bunker, 9S establishes a connection with the Bunker’s server. Detecting an irregularity, he takes measures to prevent his and 2B’s data from synchronizing with the Bunker server, despite that being against YoRHa protocol. As he delves deeper into the issue, he accidentally triggers the server’s defence system and comes face to face with small twin girls clad in red dresses. They assert that they have been observing the androids and extend their assistance to 9S in uncovering the truth about Project YoRHa.
Through this revelation, 9S discovers that humanity has been extinct for a long time, and Project YoRHa was designed to boost the android’s spirits by deceiving them into believing that humans are waiting for them to win the war on the moon. As proof, he sees the shipment records of supplies to the moon, all of which are empty containers.
After this revelation, 9S wakes up in the physical world and responds to 2B’s call for backup, all the while unaware of being discreetly watched by the girl in the red dress. The episode ends with the announcement of a second cour, presumably of twelve more episodes.
